1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a gutter system for a building which permits the gutter to be substantially inverted to facilitate emptying of debris from the gutter.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Rain gutters are employed to catch water runoff from roofs, particularly roofs of houses, to prevent erosion of the soil adjacent the building walls and structual damage to the foundation. Debris that may accumulate on the roof of a building, most commonly leaves, is washed into the gutters by rainwater, where it often clogs the gutter system. Removal of such accumulated debris is necessary to restore proper drainage. Such removal is tedious, time consuming, and often dangerous. Home owners and others, all too frequently attempt to clean gutter systems while precariously balanced on long ladders.
Various attempts to eliminate the invonvenience and danger involved in cleaning gutters have been made. For example, screens can be placed over the gutter. Screens prevent much debris from entering the gutter; however, the screens themselves become clogged requiring essentially the same cleaning chore. To overcome this difficulty, various prior art gutter systems have been devised that permit rotation of the gutter into an inverted or substantially inverted position to permit debris to be dislodged and to fall from the gutter to the ground. Such gutter systems are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,141,204 and 4,019,290. The systems disclosed in these patents require a long piano hinge that runs the entire length of the gutter. The hinges of such gutters may be subject to corrosion which would interfere with rotation of the gutter. In addition, neither of the gutter systems illustrated in these patents makes any provision for downspouts. U.S. Pat. No. 4,072,285 discloses a gutter system which uses a pivoting rod that runs the length of the gutter in place of a piano hinge.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,061,151; 4,116,008; and 4,117,635 all disclose more complex systems for inverting gutters for cleaning. Each involves complicated mechanisms that are relatively difficult and expensive to manufacture, such as a ratchet gearbox for driving the inverting mechanism.
Therefore, a significant need exists for a dumpable gutter that is reliable, relatively simple and inexpensive to manufacture, requires minimal maintenance, is relatively easy to install, and may be easily and safely emptied of debris by an operator standing on the ground.